We really can't even comprehend how much Heavenly Father is involved in our lives.

hey dad, so this was a good week. we found a few new investigators and we saw a lot of grace, it was awesome! as of now we have been 225'ing a lot to find some new people. half of our teaching pool is hard to meet with because of busy schedules, so we are trying to find some new investigators to add to the pool. the new people we found this week will be meeting with us this week for their first lessons, so we will see how it goes. the weeks are really starting to fly by! it really seems like i was just emailing you! the days are blurring together all the time now hahaha. good thing i keep a journal. we had interviews with president porter this past week, and it was really good. i talked with president and he told me how much he has seen me grow and he said he is proud of me, and that i am becoming a leader. he helped me find my next step to work on, he is the bomb! that is awesome you are getting so much done at work, good job on the numbers and having the stock so good! has sarah been helping with the yard? it has been really nice weather this week, it hit 75 on saturday! it was awesome! it has been in the 40-50 degree range for the most part though, but i think it will be a nice spring as well (hopefully). it feels so good outside after having the teens for weeks hahaha. that is way cool about the car race, i was wondering about that. that is a cool pic! it is way cool the jazz won. cincy has the flyers hockey team, but I don't know if they are pro. that is cool about getting to go to jake's ward and logan on Sunday. i bet that was fun to see him and jeff and nicole. i like that thought about HF. i feel the same way, He is so involved in our lives we don't even know. just today when we were shopping, we stopped by goodwill to see if they had some shoes, cause my pros shoes are worn out (it's a pair i have worn every day that Ralph senior gave me for free) and i got a good pair of loafers that fit perfectly for $4! it was a huge blessing--now i have some meeting shoes. we really can't even comprehend how much He is involved with our lives, working to make it possible to have the blessings we receive. funny thing--so that air museum you told me about is out of our mission by a few miles, so we have asked president if we could go and he will let us go if we go with a member. so us and the other elders in our ward are setting something up for a district fun day for next week. i have heard awesome stuff about that museum! i like the thought from conference as well. that is something i have been working on, to never ignore an impression, and i have received so many more promptings than before, it has been awesome. this transfer i have felt way more guided than i have ever been. as of now, i am just trying to find those elect, and help them be baptized so they can follow the Savior. sharing this gospel makes me so happy, it is truly the greatest work and experience. thanks for all you do to keep me out here, it means so much! i love you dad! have a great day and week, it was great to hear from you as usual, talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

hi mom! so this was a good week, it went by so fast! we did find a few new investigators and stuff that i wrote about in dad's email. as for the other people we work with, they are not progressing as fast as we would like. it is kinda hard to meet with half of them, and one i have not even met yet! they are super busy so we are trying to find some more by doing a lot of 225-ing and working with less actives. we have a really good referral lined up from a less- active lady, for a family. the mom is interested in learning more, so she is going to meet with us. 

the best part of the week was interviews with president, and the most challenging was being sick for half the week with a cold that is just getting over. luckily it is not as bad as elder parker's haha. there is a part member family we saw last night, who has an unbaptized daughter who is a lot like mia, but a lot more sass and drama--she is funny hahaha. 

my pump supplies are doing good, i will definitely let you know when i need more. that is too bad that you didn't get to go into the temple open house, but hopefully you will get too soon. thanks for the pics, it looks super great! 

it is crazy about [some ward missionaries] already getting home soon, although it does not surprise me, the mission flies by! it is incredible how fast. the weeks are really seeming like days, it is crazy. it seems like i wake up and go to bed a few times and then bam! i am emailing again hahaha. i keep having these really vivid dreams. one was about my future wife i think, and the other was about when i get home and how fast it went by, it is weird. i am glad you guys got to visit to logan, i bet that was fun! 

it really is truly amazing that joseph smith really did do what he did as a 14 year old boy. i know that he truly was a prophet and that he did restore god's true church, and that the Book of Mormon really is the true word of god. by reading it and studying its words we truly can come closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. i have done this over the course of my mission and my love for Him has increased dramatically! i was looking back at my journal in the mtc and man, i didn't really have a testimony it seems like hahaha, it was so simple and now it has grown so much, it truly is my greatest possession. thanks for all you do to support me and keep me out here, it means a lot, this would not be possible without out you and dad! thanks!

Mom: I'm sorry you got sick! Did you have any trouble with your blood sugars? I have seen how much you have grown in 6 months--think how much more you will grow by the end of your mission. 

yep, i got sick but my BGs have been good still. it was kinda high last night, but other than that i have been good. yep, my testimony will grow a lot more hahaha that is funny that jake & jeff think i am emotional. hahaha what a funny joke! hahaha just kidding, i know. funny jake and jeff! although i meant that i cry more with spiritual stuff hahaha. 

Mom: So what is your favorite thing you have learned from President Porter?

it is hard to pick my favorite thing, but he is very knowledgeable about a lot of things. probably how to find our next step to progress towards so we can become who God wants us to be.

Mom: What does he have you working on next?

we are doing a purification challenge, and we each picked out a few things to get better at. mine was not having unapproved songs in my head haha, and just a few things like that. also I want to never ignore a prompting, but the most latest one is that i am going to study the atonement to understand it better.

well i have to go now mom, it was great to hear from you. I love you and all the fam so much, have a great week y'all!

-Elder Sedlacek

I knew growing up with diabetes that I was protected

"Dern Tooten I'm a Rebel"--Elder Sed sees these a lot.

hey dad! 

so this was a good week, and it flew by. this week we really focused on listening to the spirit--even all the generous thoughts we get. it was a great experience, i felt the spirit guiding us a lot more than usual. thursday was especially good, i was on like cloud 9 that day, for some reason, and i was just so happy! it made me realize just how awesome this work really is, all the struggles that you go through, getting doors slammed in your face, called rude names, exhausted half the time; all of it is worth it for those days like Thursday and seeing the gospel bless others. we had a really good zone meeting this past thursday, and they taught us a new way to 2-2-5, and to ask the people at the door why they think we are there? we know we were led to go there at that specific time.  we tried it out and got a return appointment with this guy who works at mcdonald's. it is a very inspired way to knock on doors, it was awesome. 

 

sadly, not too many investigators showed at church yesterday. last night elder parker got sick and had a high fever, so we had to stay in from like 6:30 on. so he went to bed and i did all the usual collecting numbers and stuff. then i called some people to set up some lessons and then i started to go through the area book and call some formers and potentials, and literally almost no one was answering--or they were just not interested at all. i was ready to give up at this point and study some more before bed (it was like 8:30 by now), but i decided to call just one more. i called this lady and she answered and was like "who is this?" so i explained why i was calling and she said, "oh sorry!"  i asked if we could come share a message about jesus christ with her and she already had a day in mind. that was a huge testimony builder to me of sticking it out and just to keep trying. it was a huge miracle for me. 

 

diabetes has definitely helped me to grow closer to heavenly father and jesus. i knew growing up when i was able to wake up during those times when i would wake up at {a blood sugar of} 40 in the middle of the night and not know what or why i had woken up so suddenly, i knew that i was protected. i am alive today because i have a loving heavenly father who loves and cares for me and wants me to succeed. hahaha my eyes are watering saying that! i am such a baby now hahaha. 

 

that is cool you have been working so hard at family history lately, you have got a lot of work done! good job dad! i bet that truck show was way cool, did ford come out with anything new, a new raptor maybe? that is way cool too bad i couldn't see it hahaha. at least the cav's are doing well, i will have to be a cavs fan from now on since ohio. that sucks the jazz are back to the old slump, they need a new coach or something. that thought you shared was one of my favorite conference talks from last october. i really like that thought about the sharks and everything, it applies so well to missionary work, you just have to keep pushing on through the opposition because it will come and then the miracles after that. luckily the snow hasn't been too bad, when i say it really doesn't snow here, i mean it---we get like 1 inch on average and that is a bad storm hahaha so it is not bad, there is too much water in the air for the snow to stick around long too, it melts within a few days even though it won't get above 25 degrees. thermals are handy out here! hahaha. well anyway, it was great to hear from you dad! i love reading your emails and stuff, i will talk to you later, love you so much dad! have a great week and day!

-Elder Sedlacek

 

 

hey mom, so this was a good week! so are you ALL home then? cool. i suppose you have probably read dad's email then. i have had a great week, i love englewood, other missionaries call it englehood but it is not a hood compared to what i have experienced. now that i am no longer in Cincy look up "over the rhine"--it is a sketchy part of town and not even the worst! haha i went there a lot. we always got referrals from there.  but yeah, i love englewood (angle wood) it is great. elder parker is a great missionary and loves to work hard and do what is necessary. he is a funny guy too.  he has helped me  a lot already. 

 

i did get your package, thank you so much for it! and i did get the insulin and i did get my A1C done, so i will get you those results next week probably. or you might be able to call the mission nurse for them yourself. my favorite part  of the week was probably thursday. it was such a good day, we received  a lot of promptings that day and i feel like we were really guided the whole day long. that is something i have gotten better at, following the spirit and listening to it.  friday was much the same too and the package really made my day as well. tell libby thanks for the valentine! haha 

 

that is way funny about those little kids you work with hahaha they really look up to you!  that is good every thing is going well with nicole. i saw that the new provo temple was almost done, i am so excited to see it. i got to watch the time lapse when it was built.

 

 i like that story about the man on the cruise ship who didn't know that everything is included in the price of the ticket. it is true, all we are trying to do is share the happiness that this gospel brings us and it makes me sad when people won't even try to listen. all we ask is that they pray about it and see if it is for them or not, but that is easier said than done sometimes. that is funny about Bro. G,  because i have experienced the same thing. in batesville i did get hit by a car--hahahaha--i wasn't planning on telling you till after i got home. luckily it was not bad at all, i really just got tapped by the car.  i jumped around the hood as it rolled through a stop sign because the old man driving "didn't see us"-- so don't worry it is a funny story hahaha. well how are the heck are ya!?

 

Mom: hey!! I am good! We are all here (except Jeff & Nicole), because school is out for President’s day and Dad has the day off too. Dad and Jake are outside at the moment changing the oil in the car Jake drives.

 

Yep, I read Dad’s email. It’s a good one. Sounds like you had a really great week. I’m glad!

 

Last week, I did look up those Cincy areas you were in, as well as “over the rhine” and the “Price hill” area. Good thing I didn’t do it until you weren’t there anymore! haha. Grandma H is seriously so relieved that you are out of there! I also looked up your new area, the street where your apartment is. It looks pretty decent.

 

So do you not know what your A1C was? I’m glad you got it done though, that’s good.

 

YOU GOT HIT BY A CAR WAY BACK IN BATESVILLE?? haha! Well, I’m glad it’s just “a funny story!”

 

Elder Sedlacek: that is good you are all home today. that is funny you already looked up those areas. hahaha yep, cincy is a fun place. hahaha price hill is the worst of it! i didn't get to get out there much, it was a long bus ride, like 2 hours and a 30 min walk, so we didn't get out there much. yep, this area is very nice compared to cincy, i love it! nope, i have no idea what my a1c is yet. and yep got hit by a car. hahaha i have lots of hilarious stories! hahaha

ok, i have to go now mom, we are going to steak n' shake. hahaha it was great to hear from you! have a good day seeing the provo temple--let me know how it is. i love you guys so much! i will talk to you later, have a great week! 

-Elder Sedlacek

 

Transferred to Englewood, Ohio.

Email didn't work well for chatting back and forth again....my emails weren't getting through to him for some reason--dang system. :)  Oh well. Hopefully next week!

hi dad! i am doing great, i am in englewood ohio, it's just outside of dayton, so we have a mix between small town and some "ghetto" inner city. it is not really ghetto to me at all since i have been living in the real ghetto for the last 3 months hahaha. it is a lot like batesville, mixed with cincinnati's size. i love it! my new comp is elder parker, he came out with me as well and we sat on the plane together, crazy huh?  i heard the broncos won, so i am wearing my orange and blue striped tie today.  i was so happy to hear that! i finally won a prize in your scoring grid when i was gone hahaha, i knew it haha! update me on anything like b-ball or stuff like that, whatever you want, i like to hear about it all hahaha. a summer job at cabela's would be way cool for jake. i would love that--outdoors here is putting on a flannel shirt and hunting deer in your backyard hahaha. enjoy the mountains for me! that is awesome that you were able to get so much work done on family history! that is crazy the ward is growing so much, i don't even think i would remember anyone's names now hahahaha So what is the church's new Easter campaign dealing with, like pamphlets and stuff or is it electronic?  i will look forward to it. i know it to be true, through the Book Of Mormon we can come to know jesus christ on a more personal level, if we read from it with an open mind and if we focus on the over-arching message of hope in Jesus Christ.  i also know that God really does know each and every one of us personally, and that he loves us all more than we can even comprehend. i know for a fact He knows who each and everyone of us is, and he knows how to help us the best way possible to return to Him. through Christ it is made possible, with the atonement--the best gift we have ever been given. well, it was great to hear from you! i love you so much, thank you so much for all you do for me to keep me out here. i love my mission and i love sharing the gospel, it brings me a lot of happiness and joy. i will talk to you later dad! have a great week!

love you!

-Elder Sedlacek

hi mom! so my new address is in Vandalia, Ohio. thank you so much in advance for the packages! so my area is Englewood Ohio, we are just northwest of Dayton. Dayton is awesome, it is like Salt Lake City, but with taller buildings. it is cool, i love it. although i am not in Dayton, my area is the suburbs of Dayton and and we live in Vandalia. my whole area is like Batesville mixed with the size of Cincy, it is awesome.  i am seeing a lot more rebel flags, just like in Batesville, i love it hahaha! 

My new comp is Elder Logan Parker, he came out with me from the MTC. he is a good guy, it is nice to have an obedient comp! we have a car full time, but we do use the buses occasionally.  we drive a ford focus, and  it is nice to have a car, although i am going to get fat in this area with the way the members feed us hahaha, every night (almost) and they really give us tons of food. the ward is awesome! so we have a few people we teach, and we just picked up a miracle 'gator on Saturday. H is her name, she is 19 and just moved from Indiana. she grew up going to church every week, but her family are not members so she never got baptized. amazingly enough, she contacted the ward through their Facebook page, and had us sent over to meet with her. she came to church yesterday and bore her testimony about the church and everything! she is going to be our next baptism! she just is waiting for her uncle to come out here to do her baptism. he is always busy with work so we don't know when that will happen. 

we are also teaching a girl who is autistic. her parents adopted her and they now believe that she is fully accountable and able to understand everything, so we are teaching her the lessons. we have a few other "eternigators" we are teaching who could be baptized any day, so yeah, we have a pretty decent teaching pool. our goal is three baptisms for this transfer, and we will make it happen! 

that is good you are enjoying your job, hopefully jake can get a summer job, then he can help me get one when i get home haha!. It is so awesome that J Hale left on his mission, he will be blessed so much for it. 

thanks for putting my name on the Superbowl scoring sheet, i totally forgot about that haha. thanks for the treat! that sounds like you had an awesome Sunday. mine was good too. in my district, we have just us and another set of elders.  my DL came back from medical leave just a week ago, and man, he is hilarious! he is so funny, he is a riot hahaha. we have meal appointments together with the members so they are always a lot of fun. so did you get the pics from sister connelly? i saw them at transfers and they are doing great, frank seems to be more solid than ever! i love them so much, they are literally my grandparents away from home!  that is a cool promise from the family history work, i am glad you are getting so much done, that is awesome! 

i am glad you didn't get driven insane not knowing where I was for a week hahahahaha.  so what is new?

by the way, i can now hold the flag postion for twice as long at least, in my coat! and my church clothes! so yeah the pullups are working, and i am getting stockier. i don't know how much weight i have gained, but i know i have gained muscle 'cause my shoulders are fuller.

okay, i have to go now mom, it was great to hear from you! sorry the email didn't work that great this week, again. i love you all so much! have a great week, i love you  guys, talk to you later!

-Elder Sedlacek

I'm going to miss downtown Cincy!

 

I guess Elder Sed wanted us to see his stylin' sweet socks.

Elder Sed sent some pictures of downtown Cincy. He's leaving there tomorrow (Feb 2nd). 

 

hey dad! so this week was good, it went super fast. we kept really busy going though a less-active list, it was good. so for the 'gators updates this week, LC is doing awesome. he has already read up through mosiah in two weeks! he loves the BOM, and he is solid in progressing. p**** tried to bash with us again; i was ready to yell at him at several points because he was saying such horrible things. hopefully elder holman drops him soon (hint hint). that sounds bad, but he is just wasting our time.   all the other 'gators are doing about the same as they were. we found a new part member family that seems really cool, and they invited us to come back at another time because they were busy. t as you may be wondering, i am leaving cincy tomorrow. i am kinda sad, but it was such a tough transfer that i am also a little glad at the same time. guess what? they changed how transfers work in this mission, so i will find out tonight who i will be with and where, and so there is no transfer meeting on tuesday. we just meet up and leave from the church building in centerville ohio like usual. that is orders from the Twelve. a lot of us are kinda bummed out about no meeting hahaha. i am sorry you got sick! that sounds pretty horrible. i hope you feel better, i have been praying for you. i wish i could help you in some way, but as you know, i can only send prayers right now hahaha. that is really good you turned to prayer, heavenly father often gives us hard times to learn from, you defintely learned from this experience. it is pretty cool to think about, we just have to do our best to learn and grow and HF will send stuff in our way to help with the rest. He is always there for us, I know that because i have seen it in my own life, with diabetes, and with my mission so far-- it has all blessed my life immensely! i love our heavenly father so much for it. i love that chapter in the BOM, and i love 3 Nephi in general. that is awesome you had your own "sunday school" haha. i am excited to see about the super bowl, but i don't really care about the pro bowl anyway, they are overpaid babies hahaha.  thanks for that dad! i like the thought you sent, and it is true, our testimonies are the most valuable things we have in this life. we have to constantly be on the guard for them, we cannot ever let them go or we will lose our faith in christ and slow our progression, that is no bueno!  thank you so much for the prayers that you send me, i definitely feel them every day, there is no other way i could do this without prayers and the savior and a loving heavenly father. well, it was great to hear from you dad! i love you so much! i hope you feel better soon, have a great week and day! talk to you later! love ya!

-Elder Sedlacek

 

 

hey mom, so guess what? i am leaving cincy! i am kinda sad but glad at the same time. it has been a rough transfer! yesterday i was walking down the street, and i almost bumped into a black guy because i wasn't paying attention. i almost said "oh sorry bruh" hahahaha without even thinking about it! it has become so natural for me hahaha! i am so comfortable in the hood now hahaha. well there's the funny story for today hahaha. 

 

my favorite part of the week was yesterday, it was 65 degrees and it felt so nice! we went downtown to contact a media referral, and of course it was a bum address :( so we caught a bus home to see a recent convert who is crazy funny! hahaha love that guy! at that point, i knew it was one of my last times downtown for a while, so i took a bunch of pics hahaha.

 

i am sorry you guys were not feeling well, hopefully dad gets better soon haha. i am glad your tooth is better, that is good news. i prayed for you and elder holman prayed for you, too. that will be really good to visit those people in the ward, they could really use some visiting. i love all those people so much hahaha 

 

that sounds like a good talk from bro ricks, he is awesome too. haha yep, i used to give you guys such heck! i feel bad for it, because you and dad really did raise me the best way possible and i will be forever indebted to you for it! well, how is everything going today?

 

i will miss downtown :(

 

Mom: Hey son! I am great today! Thank you so much for praying for us, we needed it! Dad went to work today, I think he is feeling ok but not all the way back to normal yet. I'm sure he will be tomorrow though.

You are leaving Cincy!! Any thoughts on where you are going? 

Elder Sed: no i have no idea where i will go, i want to go to the boonies in Indiana, but what i want doesn't usually happen anymore (hahaha) so we will see. i am glad dad is doing better.

 

Mom: The Lord will send you where he needs you most, I'm sure about that. If you say goodbye to any members tonight, maybe one could text your mom and tell her where you're going....wink wink! 

Elder Sed: i will see what i can do haha (wink!)  but that is true, i will go where i am most needed.

 

well i have to go now mom, thanks so much for emailing me! it is great to hear from you every week, i love you guys so much! have a great day! love you!

-Elder Sedlacek